Hand tool for testing springs



E. W. GENT Filed June 4, 1941 w x I t 2 mm SK mm K Q N KN HAND TOOL FOR TESTING SPRINGS wwwkwe MN MW INVENTOR E. W GENT Br 9. %(QC fix 0 M ATTORNEY Patented July 27, 1943 Edgar" W. Gent, Mornrown, N141, assignor t Bell Telephone Laboratories; m antime; N ew Andaman;

' Claims.

particularly. to a hand-tool for measuringrspring; tensions or pressures The'object of the*inven-' tion' is to'providea hand tool for readilyineas mine; the tension or pressure of a The tool is adaptable for measuringzthespring: pressures of various spring; typef: elements" and the condition of spring-pressed members; thereon may be used for instanceinmeasuringthe:springa biased condition of an armatureina ringer.

In the drawing:

Fig. tie a view in perspective-and partly; in section of-a portion of a telephone ringer andthe tool in engagement with a portion of the ringer;'.

Fig. 2is a top planview of-the tool shown-in Fig.- 1 and drawn on a somewhatreduced scale Fig. 3 is; a side view, partly-in section, of I the,

Fig. 4 is a view correspondingto Fig. 3 but-withthe slide bar of the tooli and; v r

Fig. is an undersurface view of a-portion n a different position;

member thereon.

The tool 6 comprises a' tubular bodyl-having.

located therein a leaf spring 8 shown in-Figsl 2',- 3 and 4. The leaf spring-8 extends-the fulllength of the body 1 and. is secured atone of its ends to-- with a hook member I il-which iswelded or other--;

wisefastened to the free endof the-spring 8 .and

extends outward of one end of the bodyli Aslide bar Hcarryinga t -shaped shoe li-is adjustablyrsupported within the body I the shoe I2 beingin frictional. engagement with the spring 8 and,

serving..as-a.1novab1e fulcrum iorrthe spring 8/ the slide bar II- a long the'spring 8 to in effect shorten or lengthen the spring 8. The slide bar H is pressed by means of the shoe I2 against the inner surface of the upper Wall I4 of the body "I and is provided with. a button l5 which is adapted to fit into apertures I6 formed in the upper wall I4 of the body '1. The button I5 in cooperation with the apertures it serves as a detent to hold the shoe I2 and the slide bar II in adjusted positions, the button I5 being selectively pressed into the apertures "5 as the bar II is moved longitu telephone 1941, Serial No: 3965541 (or. 265- 18); p

= dinally within therbody 1i: The islide. bar: M is calibrated on its uppersurface and has riurribrs pi'0vided -tliereon -whichappear- 111 9: window l l rormedrmme upper wall of theribfody '1 tb" ifidl 7 5- 3 cater the pressure" requiredto nrov'e' the fr' end of the" spring. 8 from thernor'mal full line posi 1 tion shown 'in -Figs. 3 and 4 to' -the dotted-line po siti'on shown in i these figuresl' The No. 80 appearingrin the. window I "I infiFi'gt Z shOwe,that the .1911 tool isset for 80 gramspressurej' .the'shoe' l2 under" this condition *being in theposition'showndnfiw- 3: IniFig; 1 theslideu-barrl I has been' 'lon'gitudi s:

appears in the window I1 to' irrdicate'that the 15g tool: 6*: is set for 55-"- grams pressures In'-.Fig: 4*-

the slide bar I I hastbeen1further moved' to' carrytx the :shoe I 2 along: the "spring \8 and *set t'he' to'ojldi for a still lower pressure? The-(slide barili is bent atitsouteriend IB'to faciiitate' manualmoves o m'entzof 'the bars I I 'an'dito prevent undue thrust ringzof ithe'bar I I' within the' bodyr'l. The screws or rivets "1 9 9 1 will prevent." complete-withdrawal of the bar from the: body: 17in one direction-= since they serve as a stop for thesho-e Iainone" 5.; direction of'its travel. The 'bodyfl lias outwardof the tool and shows two positions of-aguard lyfiturned bifurcated ears I Svand'i 20 on -the'i-enrl' nearest to. the hook membenl 0 :to i'permit strpe'". portingof this end-ofthetool' 6 ori some suitable support: (not shown) Laterallyr: exterr'dmg ea-rs a 2| and1'22 are also provided:oirotl1e hook member. I 0 to permit engagement of the hook member I 0?. with devices to-bergauged byrthe too1'liiami wmclr might be so formed as to be; not: readily. engaged' bythe hook shapedendportion 23v I ..-x': The guard- 2 1 is,adjust-ably' heldagainst 'th 2 outeresurface; of the lower I well a] 3=of thebody. 1:; by mea;ns, of straps 25 -and-261:and3 is provided with an -arro wheadshaped end *portiomz'll The--* strap 26 has leg sportions'flflvand 29 .sechredto the? side walls-iifl and 31 ofthebody land is provided It will be seen bylooking at Figs. 3 and 4 tha t the'shoe i2 presses the spring 8 against thein ner surface ofthe lower wa11 I3 -of the body I; and that it maybe manually moved bymeans of;

' with-a tongue portion 32 in frictional engage ment with the undersurf ace of the-end portion 21: oi-v the guard The strap-- 25devU-shaped and? has its log,portions fastenedto; the;- side wallsfiiifl er wall of the body I. The guard 24 extends through the strap 25 and is offset from the body I at the point of extension through the strap 25 and is provided with a lug 33 and a downwardly extending end portion 34. When the tool 6 is not in use, the guard 24-is manually thrust forward to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 5. In this position the arrowhead shaped end portion 21 extends parallel with the hook member Ill and partly beyond the hook member NJ to serve in nally .moved withinthe: body: 1 and the No. .55 v

some measure to'prevent engagement of the hook member ID with the clothing of a person carrying the tool 6, the guard 24 being retained in this position by the bearing of the lug 33 against one edge of the strap 25 as shown in the dotted line 1 position in Fig. 5 The guard 24 may be withdrawn from the position shown in Fig. 5 to the 7 position shown in the other figures of the drawing by pressing' the end portion 34 toward thelower wall of the body I to release the lug 33 tion shown in Figs. 1, 3 and 4. r

One of the uses of the tool Gisshown in Fig. 1

in which 35 is a portion of a polarized telephone ringer comprising an armature 35 .electroma'g netically operated by means of the coils 31 31,

' and it is desired to set the ringer for the required of the spring 40 may be adjusted to meet this from engagement with the strap 25 and then by.

sliding the guard 24 along the body I to the posisetting of the tool 6 by theringer 35. i

Various types .of springs and reeds may be turning. the screw 42 in tested by means of this tool to determine their spring pressures or tensions, the tool 6 being placed in engagement with the device or element .to be tested and manually pressed against the the armature 36 being pivotedly. supported at its.

central portion in a support 38 and carrying a clapper rod 39. Telephone ringers of this type are often. provided with a helical spring 40 to springbias the-armaturetfi, the spring fill being attached at one -.end toa cord anchored to a screw 42, mounted on a convenient support (not shown) .but which forms a part of the ringer and the other. end of ,the spring 453 being attached to:.an. arm 43,,extending from on end of the armaturer3fi, all of which is well understoodin the art- The ringer 35 is provided with the usual permanent magnet, The screw 42 maybe turnedto applymore or less pull on theicord 4| andthus .change the tension of the spring 10 and its biasing efiect onthe armature 36, the cord H being wound or unwoundon the screw 42 according ,to the direction ofxturning' of the screw. In. some casesiti'is known that when a ringer is located at a certain station in a signaling system, acerta'in spring tension isrequired on the armature of the'ringer to make the ringer operable at-that station. In other cases itis not known'what the spring tension should be and an adjustment must be madeof the spring tendevice or element and by changing the setting of the-tool 6 to match the spring pressure or tension of thedevice under test.

What is claimed is: I .1.. A hand tool for gauging spring pressures comprising, in combination, a tubular handle having a window therein, a leaf spring secured at one end'within the handle and having a free end portion'projecting from the other end of said handle, a slide bar movably supported within the handle and having indicia thereon for separate observance through said window, a shoe supported on said slide bar and frictionally engaging said leaf spring, said shoe and said leaf spring cooperating to resiliently press said slide bar into frictionalengagement with said handle and said shoe serving as a movable fulcrum for said leaf spring. h

2. A hand tool for gauging spring pressures comprising, in combination, a tubular handle having an aperture formed therein, a leaf spring secured; at one end within said handle, an end "portion on said lea-f springextending longitudinally outward from the other end of said han sioniuntil the ringer operates-in a satisfactory manner. a Y

-The tool- G'may'be used indetermining the tension of the spring in the ringer and in adjusting the springto 'a required tension. When the-'toolisto be used for either of these purposes the'hookedend portion 23 is hooked into one-end of the. spring-40 and manual pressure isapplied tothetool to cause elongation of the spring. If in doing-this the .spring 40 is elongated-without causingiiexure of thespring 8 in the tool 6 and movement of the hook member 10 from itsnormal full line position, the tool should a .be s'etat a different pressure by sliding the slide bar to a difier'ent position, Adjustment should appearing in-the-window IT of the tool 6. If it; is already knownwhat 'springtension is required in the ringer at a particular pointin the system die, a calibrated slide bar movably Supported 4 within said handle, the calibration marks on said slide'bar being separately observable through said aperture, a V-shaped shoe carried by said slide barand engaging saidleaf spring and said shoe being manually movable by means of said slide bar along said leaf spring and serving as a movable fulcrum for said leaf spring.

3. A hand tool for gauging spring pressures comprisingyin combination, a, tubular handle, a

leaf spring extending longitudinally within said handle and secured at one end to'said handle, an end 'member'secured to the free end of said leaf spring and extending longitudinally outward of said handle, a slide bar supported within said handle and movabl relative to said leaf spring, ashoe supportedon-said slide bar and slidably engaging said leaf springto serve as a movable fulcrum for said leaf spring, a series of apertures and a window formed in one face of said handle, a button onsaid slide bar and cooperating with said series of apertures to provide'a detent holding means for said slide bar and calibrations' on said slide bar separately visible through said window to indicate the setting of said tool for required'spring pressures.

-- EDGAR W. GENT. 

